In an instant, St. Laurence’s Caleb Lindsey recognized the moment wasn’t a fluke.
During the third quarter, the 6-foot-5 senior forward — a rebounding and shot-blocking specialist — had the basketball in his hands with a clean look from beyond the arc.
“On the first one, I felt it was going in and I held my follow through all the way,” Lindsey said afterward. “Once I saw that one going in, I just had to get the next one up.”
Up, up and away.
Lindsey knocked down consecutive 3-pointers Tuesday night to sparkthe Vikings to a 67-51 victory over Hyde Park in a Class 3A Glenbard South Sectional semifinal in Glen Ellyn.
Senior guard Zerrick Johnson scored 17 points for top-seeded St. Laurence (29-5), while senior point guard EJ Mosley contributed 16 points, five assists and three steals.
Lindsey, meanwhile, finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots for the Vikings, who will play at 7 p.m. Friday in the sectional championship game against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Mount Carmel (27-5) and De La Salle (16-17).
An energy player who comes off the bench, Lindsey impacted Tuesday’s game right from the jump.
After sophomore starter Markese Peoples was forced to the bench by an early foul, Lindsey paid immediate dividends for the Vikings with a putback basket, two rebounds and two blocked shots.
“I just try to do whatever my team needs me to do, to be honest, or whatever the coach says we need,” Lindsey said. “My focus has been rebounding and defense.
“It’s always a good feeling when you come in and make positive plays. Once I see a little bit of success, it just makes me want to do more.”
Never one to be concerned about his playing time, Lindsey stays ready to shape the game to his own end. The back-to-back 3-pointers pushed the lead to 45-27 late in the third quarter.
“Caleb is a team guy and is always going to do what is best for the team,” St. Laurence coach Roshawn Russell said. “If you peel back our culture, you are going to see a picture of Caleb.
“Those 3-pointers he hit were probably the biggest momentum change of the game at that point. It hyped everybody up.”
State playoff basketball is often about filling in the blanks or coming up with an X-factor.
Lindsey filled the bill Tuesday night, according to senior forward Jacob Rice.
“Caleb did a great job with the way he played,” Rice said. ”He got the heat check on that second three after the first one went in. He was a difference-maker.”
Nothing happens in a vacuum, however.
While Lindsey has made his mark closer to the rim, he’s put in the time to diversify his game.
“I’ve been on the varsity all four years and I’ve worked on my outside shot a lot throughout all of high school,” Lindsey said. “I try to shoot the ones I get.
“Sometimes, the ball is moving really fast and I do like to keep it moving.”
The youngest of three brothers, Lindsey was considerably younger than his siblings and learned how to adapt his game to any situation.
“My role has changed a little bit since I first started,” he said. “I’ve mainly been focused on leading the team, rebounding and guarding some of the best players.
“I try to be the glue guy that calms everybody down. I want to be the level-headed one.”
In the regular season, St. Laurence posted double-digit victories over Mount Carmel and De La Salle. But first things first.
”This means a lot to be me because this is the farthest we’ve made it during my four years,” Lindsey said. “It means a lot to perform so well in a big game and keep my team going.
“I know these are my last couple of high school games. I’m trying to appreciate the moment.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
